Omoi
by Kiosukette
Summary: Omoi: thought, mind, heart, feelings, emotion - a forgotten tale of tragic... CHAPTER 2 NOW UP!
1. Prelude

****Disclaimer: **i do not own the characters of Rurouni Kenshin, or any aspects of it, for that matter. That being said, enjoy. ^.^

Writing a story as good as the ones in the RK series is virtually impossible, so naturally, i just had to go and embarrass myself trying to do it. Here's what i came up with - try not to hate me _too_ much. And yes, the main character is an original made-up. That said, please read, enjoy, and review! 

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The rain fell silently, causing the atmosphere to become saturated with a caustic odor. The bass rumble of thunder resounded throughout the vast grounds. An expressionless swordsman tilted his head upwards slightly, allowing the moisture to run down his cheeks, which were stained slightly with minute, dark flecks of the same substance that was flowing without restraint upon the yielding earth. Blood. 

The young girl stared wide-eyed at the assassin's dripping sword. Precipitation ran down the blade as it dripped simultaneously with blood. Her lips parted, and she uttered a single heart-wrenching sob. She was kneeling barely a foot away from the body of her beloved mother. The eight-year-old reached out and slowly placed her hand on the lifeless one before her. With that, her tears gushed freely. She looked up at the attacker with an expression of horror and disbelief. What had her family done to deserve this? What had she done? 

"Wh-why..." She whispered hoarsely. "_Why..._?" 

The impassive eyes of the murderer bore deeply into her own. Then, without saying a single word, he sheathed his stained sword, turned around, and began to walk away. 

"...Why don't-" The girl glared at the quickly retreating back of the swordsman. "...Why don't you kill me?" She spat bitterly. "Why don't you kill me as well?!?" 

Remaining silent, the young man slowly pushed open the front gates of the Kaminaga residence and left the little girl kneeling on the ground, holding her dead mother's hand. 

Her eyes darted about, eyeing the three motionless forms lying upon the cold, drenched soil. Her own face and kimono were covered in a massive amount of dark blood. The child looked at the ground. There were pools of blood and water everywhere. _So much blood_. She bowed her head, and then turned to her right, staring at the swinging gates apathetically. 

_That bastard..._ She thought to herself and closed her eyes. Memories of the slaughter were fresh in her mind. Recalling his face, she thought about his empty gaze, his red-tinted hair, and most of all, the single scar that ran up and down his left cheek. She would never forget his face. Never. 

Hunching over so that her forehead nearly touched the damp dirt, she covered her eyes with her bloody hands and began to cry. She screamed in agony. That night, she never stopped crying. The downpour continued, drenching the small girl in her sorrows. 


	2. Sanosuke's Task

****Remarks:** STORY NAME CHANGE! Sorry if i've confused anyone with my indecisiveness, but i just thought 'Omoi' would serve as a much better title for this story. For those true diehard RK fans out there, you know why i chose 'Omoi.' :)

i'm sorry, i'm sorry! i **know** i haven't updated for the longest time, but i've been really _really_ busy with schoolwork, PSATs, driver's ed, etc.

i was surprised that i actually received a few reviews! Anyway, i've finally written the second installment of my fanfic, so r&r, por favor! ^.^ 

Oh, and if you find the amount of blood a bit _excessive _for your own taste, let me remind you that this _is_ rated PG-13, meaning there _will_ be material like this within my story. Be forewarned. i'll try not to make it seem like a bloodbath or something of that nature, but please remember that i _am_ trying to be descriptive so the reader can have a vivid mental image. That being said, i'll now express my gratitude for those reviews. (By the way, i _like_ italics... yea.)

Than-kyu to: random person, anonymous, Brittanie Love, BabyKaoru-sama, and Misoks.

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Saori breathed in deeply and opened her eyes. Looking at the sky as she sat underneath the ancient tree in the tall, green grass, she silently stood up. Bending down only to pick up her possessions - a tattered cloak and a thin, long, wooden staff, which she held tightly in her right hand - she walked onto the beaten path before her. Turning west, she began to trudge slowly in the direction of the setting sun. Its streams of light reflected off of her fierce ruby eyes. 

_Ten years..._ She thought to herself. _It's already been over ten long years..._ Saori absentmindedly lifted her left hand up and ran her index finger down her cheek. Her mouth clenched tightly, and her pace quickened.

- - -

Kamiya Kaoru awoke with a start. She sat up abruptly, finding herself covered in a cold sweat. She closed her eyes and raised one hand up to her forehead. _It was just another nightmare..._ the shaken woman thought to herself. Opening her eyes, she gave a tired sigh. Lately, it seemed all she had were nightmares. Shivering slightly, Kaoru bent her knees and brought them toward her chest.

Outside, sounds of water splashing and scrubbing could be heard. The young female lifted her head, noting the faint smell of miso soup that hung in the air. Silently, she stood up and tiptoed towards the door. 

"Kenshin's up already." she smiled, sliding the door open slightly and peeking out. She could just make out the form of the small rurouni bent over the washing basin. 

"Hey Kenshin, thought I'd drop by today." someone said suddenly. "I guess the missy and the brat are still sleeping, huh? Say, you guys haven't eaten yet, have you?"

Kaoru frowned slightly when she heard the familar voice. That Sagara Sanosuke was nothing more than a shameless freeloader. She didn't even know why they bothered putting up with him. Granted, he had been tremendously helpful during times of need, but was that bum going to be leeching off of them for the rest of his life?

"No, Sano, we haven't eaten yet. I sent Yahiko to the market to pick up some fresh vegetables for dinner tonight. Kaoru's still sleeping. You're welcome to join us for breakfast if you wish." came Kenshin's cheerful reply.

Kaoru smiled to herself. She should have expected such an answer from the well-mannered rurouni. 

Sanosuke grinned, expecting Kenshin's predictable reply. "Well, if you insist..." His grin broadened. "It'd be rude to refuse, so I guess I'll just have to stay then."

Hearing this, Kaoru briskly stepped away from the door and began to get dressed. Things were going to change. If that slacker was expecting to snag a free meal, he was going to get an unpleasant surprise. Once she was dressed, the young woman silently slid open the door of her room once again, slipped out, and headed towards the small storage shack. Upon quietly entering the shack and picking up a long bamboo rod, Kaoru stepped back out and began to walk swiftly towards the unsuspecting Sagara Sanosuke.

"So Kenshin, when do you think raccoon girl's going to be up? I'm getting hungr-" He stopped mid-sentence as a flying object hit him forcefully behind the head, knocking him forward and making him fall. As Kenshin stared, wide-eyed with shock, Sano whirled around, furious. "What the hell was that?!" He cried, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hmph." Kaoru stood behind Sanosuke, arms crossed, a disgruntled look on her face. "Sagara Sanosuke, if you want _any_ food at all today, you'd better get going." She pointed to the object she had hurled at his head that was now lying on the ground.

Sanosuke, mouth slightly open in surprise, looked downward, seeing the rod. 

"That's right. You're going fishing today."

"But-"

"You're not getting out of doing nothing today, Sano." She frowned. "It's about time you did _some_ work around here."

Shooting her a quick look of resentment, Sano picked up the fishing pole, still rubbing the back of his head with the other hand.

"Don't think I didn't see that!" Kaoru scolded. "I suggest you get going, or _none_ of us will be having anything to eat tonight." She commanded.

Mumbling incoherent insults, the dispirited Sanosuke began to trudge towards the the dojo doors, carrying the bamboo rod over his shoulder. Today was going to be a long day...


End file.
